1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning endoscope processor that reduces the generation of image signals not being used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent No. 3943927 discloses a scanning endoscope. In a general scanning endoscope, light for illumination is transmitted through an optical fiber from a stationary incident end to a movable emission end and a scanning operation is carried out by successively moving the emission end of the optical fiber.
In order to successively move the emission end in a stable manner, the emission end is rotated about a starting point for the movement as the radius between the starting point and the emission end increases, i.e., the emission end is moved along a spiral course. In addition, to maintain ease of control the angular velocity of the rotating emission end is kept constant. The generation cycle, which is a cycle for generating pixel signals, is also held constant.
However, by keeping the angular velocity and the generation cycle constant, the number of generated pixels signals per a predetermined area increases as the emission end is moved farther from the center of the spiral course (i.e. the starting point). On the other hand, the number of pixel signals per a predetermined area required for display on a monitor is constant regardless of the distance between the center of the spiral course and the emission end. Accordingly, even though more pixel signals than the number required to produce an image are generated, a portion of the generated pixel signals are deleted without being used. This situation is problematic because power is needlessly consumed in the generation of pixel signals that will not be used.